Our Core Values include a commitment to the community in which we work and to the wider society – at home and overseas. Since we were set up our members and staff have contributed time and resources to a range of community initiatives.

Partnerships and Volunteering

We are proud to have a partnership with a local state primary school, St Alban’s, a lively school serving a diverse community. Our staff have volunteered to help at after school clubs and coordinated two hugely popular fun days (picture link). We have provided funding for the school’s website and the elected pupil School Council has regularly used our seminar room for its important meetings (picture link). One of our staff was also a member of the Governing Body.

Matrix is in its 7th year of offering work experience placements to secondary school pupils. They have the opportunity to spend a week in the busy Admin Room with the rest of the staff team, and to accompany a member of Matrix to Court.
Download an application form in .doc format (81Kb) here

We also mentored a student from Swiss Cottage Special Needs School. Two staff shared the responsibility of helping and supporting a year 11 student during their last few months at the school, before going out into the outside world, by working at Matrix for one afternoon a week for three months.

In recognition of our commitment to further education, Matrix has teamed up with other firms of solicitors to run days for sixth forms students on "Law as a Career". We are pleased to be undertaking two events this year, in partnership with Clifford Chance, with students from Camden and Tower Hamlets.

All enquiries about any of our Matrix in the Community initiatives should be directed to Amanda Illing, Practice Director.

Matrix Causes Fund

Matrix has so far committed over £170,000 to charitable and non-charitable causes. Since 2003 grants to charitable organisations have been administered through a fund registered with the Charities Aid Foundation. Barristers and staff alike make monthly contributions to the Fund and a sub-committee considers applications for support. Since July 2003 our funding priorities have been support for organisations working in the following areas:

* Access to justice, including securing benefits such as welfare benefits, health, housing and from other vulnerable groups suchs as prisoners and asylum seekers
* Promotion of women’s rights, especially women's refuges
* Children’s education, especially special educational needs, and the promotion of art and music in schools
* The environment, especially the prevention of environmental damage
* Homelessness and mental health

Please note that Matrix does not generally fund projects for more than 3 years at a time.

Download full details of our funding priorities and criteria, and a copy of the short questionnaire we ask groups to complete when applying for funds.

Links to the websites of a number of the organisations we have supported are given in the Related Links section above.

All enquiries about the Fund should be sent to our Office Administrator, Lindsay Howell.